Independent Safety Board Act Amendments of 1981
Public Law 97-74 · S. 1000 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 3, 1981 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Packwood (R-OR)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Independent Safety Board Act Amendments of 1981 - Amends the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for the purposes of such Act for fiscal years 1981, 1982, and 1983. States that such sums shall remain available until expended.
States that certain investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board shall have priority over all other investigations conducted by Federal agencies.
Includes aviation incidents under requirements binding on persons reporting such incidents subject to the Board's investigatory jurisdiction.
States that any properly credentialed employee of the Board, in investigating a transportation accident, may examine and test any materials determined to be required for the purpose of the investigation.
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to report annually to Congress with regard to transportation safety recommendations made by the Board during the preceding year.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 8 actions.
- Nov 3, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-74.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 22, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 21, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments by Voice vote.
- Oct 13, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 4, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Apr 23, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.